Sporting Notes

Stevens-Pope in three volumes, by Warren Greatbatch and Tom Rowe. The books are massive, the photography wonderful, and the information enough to satisfy the most voracious lover of single-shot rifles.

Big Books. Big Big Books.

Some years ago, at a cocktail party connected with one of the big gun shows,…
The barrels on this 28-gauge James Erskine from the late 1800s has a kind of twist called “skelp,” which usually originated in Britain. After a life of relentless maltreatement in South Africa, the gun was rescued, restored, and passed re-proof in England with flying colors. It now lives in Colorado.

Damascus

It never fails.  And when I say never, I mean never.  I show up at…
The Dakota Traveler, in .300 H&H Magnum, built by Tony Galazan’s Connecticut Shotgun Manufacturing Company. The mounts are Talleys, the scope is a Meopta MeoSport R3-15x50 RD SFP.

Dakota Redux — We Hope

Dakota Arms, of fond and fragrant memory, could stand as an object lesson to all…
It will horrify Wieland’s side-by-side loving friends, but he’s come to the conclusion that if he ever has to limit himself to one shotgun, it will be the Blaser F3—with its eight sets of barrels, three buttstocks, and two forends. Which is hardly just one gun, is it?

Rainy Sunday in March

As I write, Skeet season is upon us—that is, the two months in which the…
The Steyr Zephyr II is the class of the bolt-action .22s since Kimber gave up on its Model 82, the rifle everyone wanted but nobody bought. Fitted with a Leupold VX-II 2-7x33 scope, it is light in weight and high on performance.

Adventures with the .22 Long Rifle (No, Really …)

Like most shooters of my acquaintance, my hunting and shooting career began with the .22…
Lee Shaver’s Soule-type aperture tang sight. It has Lee’s Hadley eyecup, which allows varying the diameter of the aperture, depending on the light and your target. Windage adjustments are made using the micrometer knobs on the base.

Sight Seeing

Let’s start with a confession:  I do not know how to use an abacus.  A…
The “Revelation” from Tony Galazan’s Connecticut Shotgun Manufacturing Company (CSMC) is not expensive in over/under terms, starting at less than $3,000. But it’s as smooth and eager as one could wish a mostly machine-made shotgun to be. The “mostly” takes it only so far, and a gunmaker’s skilled hands take it the rest of the way.

It’s Not Wearing In, It’s Wearing Out

Modern man is in love with CNC (computer-numerically controlled) machinery to the point of attributing…
Stevens “Ideal Range” Model 45, built on a No. 44½ action, with original Stevens tang sight.

Best-Laid Plans

Robbie Burns can fairly claim to be Scotland’s all-time most quoted author, and his wry…
We were accompanied by an excellent photographer who declined a credit. Our scout, Hunter, loading the dogs in the ancient mule wagon.

Sweet Georgia Brown

It ain’t summertime, and the livin’ ain’t particularly easy, but if you’re a quail hunter,…
Believe it or not, under the latest gun-control legislation, this venerable (and quite lovely) W&C Scott 8-bore would have been prohibited, purely because of its bore diameter. It is a “Classic Scott” action with the company’s famous “crystal indicator.” Unfortunately, last I heard, the old dear resides in Canada.

Some Good News, for a Change

This just in from compass points north:  The Liberal Canadian government has ditched three of…
Original B&P Competition One shotshells, awarded a “Gray’s Best” in 2010, and still available today (if you can find some).

Baschieri & Pellagri Update

Long-time Gray’s readers will be aware of my affection for Baschieri & Pellagri (B&P) shotshells,…
Long-leaf pine, for which Georgia is famous.

In the Home of the Long-Leaf Pine

Just back from a few days on a plantation outside Thomasville, Georgia, spiritual and actual…